Mermaids – half fish and half young woman, but more importantly – are they myths, or do they really exist? According to Christopher Columbus, they do. He spotted them on his voyages, although many believe what he actually spied were manatees. First appearing in stories in Assyria in 1000 BC, the Goddess Atargatis accidentally killed her lover – oops. Ashamed, she took the form of a fish, but the waters would not hide her beauty, so she took the form of a mermaid.
Often associated with tragedies such as floods, shipwrecks, drowning, and storms, they can also be compassionate; as they bestow blessings or fall in love with humans. In Western Europe, they call her Melusine, while Rusalka is her Slavic counterpart. The Chinese mention Merfolk as far back as 400 BC, and the earliest surviving depiction was carved in the Norman Chapel in 1078. Believe them or not, they are still being spotted in our oceans and seas to this very day.
… this was a tiny blurb I wrote as a teaser for a web landing page…